Safer sex starts with thinking about sex risks and then making safer sex decisions. This includes decisions about:

• what you will and won’t do
• decisions about the amount of risk you’re willing to take when it comes to STIs or pregnancy.

No Risk Choices

• Flirting
• Holding hands
• Hugging
• Physical contact with your clothes on

Low Risk Choices

• Kissing
• Stroking, touching the other person’s skin
• Fondling, feeling the other person’s skin
• Massaging

Medium Risk Choices

• Oral sex with a condom or an “oral dam” between you and the other person
• Vaginal intercourse with a condom
• Anal intercourse with a condom and water-based lubricant

High Risk Choices

• Oral sex without a condom or “oral dam”
• Vaginal intercourse without a condom
• Anal intercourse without a condom
• Sharing sex toys

Sexual activity also has emotional risks. You could get your feelings hurt or your heart broken. You could also find that your “love life” becomes a hot topic of conversation. If it does some people may label you with words that are hurtful – like “slut”, “skank” or “sleeze”.